Matthew 25 In Action: A 78-Mile Walk for Justice with Rev. Dr. Leah Ntuala
“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” – 1 John 3:18
Between June 29 and July 2, 2025, Rev. Dr. Leah Ntuala, pastor of The First Presbyterian Church in Seneca Falls, NY and a member of the Presbytery of Geneva, walked 78 miles from Seneca Falls to the Batavia ICE Detention Center. With no formal training, little preparation, and a heart full of conviction, she stepped into what she called a call “into the wilderness”—a call rooted in faith, grief, protest, and deep holy pondering.
This was no ordinary walk. It was a pilgrimage of prophetic witness that reflected every dimension of the Matthew 25 Initiative: building spiritual and communal vitality, challenging oppressive systems, and standing in solidarity with the poor and the marginalized.
Putting Feet to Faith
Rev. Dr. Ntuala’s journey was inspired by a growing burden in her spirit. News reports of violence—particularly the actions of self-proclaimed Christian nationalists—reminded her of the long, tragic history of religiously-justified terrorism in America. From the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham to the January 6th insurrection, she could no longer remain silent. “I needed to walk,” she said, “to do some holy pondering… to create dialogue and cease the hypernormalization of this moment.”
With her faith as her compass, she walked 25 miles per day through small towns and countryside, not only as a protest but as a prayer. Her path echoed the legacy of sacred marches—from Selma to Stonewall to Seneca Falls—where ordinary people took extraordinary steps toward justice.
Why the Walk Matters
The Batavia ICE Detention Center, the endpoint of her journey, represented more than just the issue of immigration. It symbolized the countless systems of separation and suffering that many Americans never fully see—especially those unfamiliar with the realities of incarceration, detention, and the quiet dismantling of humanitarian infrastructure.
Dr. Ntuala marched for children in foster care forced to represent themselves in court, for families affected by cuts to USAID, the NIH, the CDC, and Veterans Affairs. She walked for her sons, for your children, and for a country that is forgetting what true patriotism looks like. She made it clear: she is a Christian and a patriot, but not a nationalist—because “the only kingdom I believe in is the Kin-dom of God.”
A March Toward the Kin-dom
What sets this act of protest apart is its deeply pastoral and prophetic tone. It was not a moment of rage, but a movement of reflection. It was rooted in truth and action, not just slogans or headlines. It was an invitation—to the Church, to the community, to all of us—to live differently.
This walk built congregational vitality by modeling a lived faith that speaks louder than any sermon. It worked to dismantle structural racism by calling out the violence carried out in the name of distorted Christianity. And it drew attention to systemic poverty and inequity in a nation that has become too comfortable with injustice.
How Will You Respond?
In Seneca Falls in 1848, people gathered to demand equality. On July 2, 2025, a crowd gathered again—not just to protest, but to proclaim that Christian Nationalism is not Christianity. That movement continues now. With each step, Rev. Dr. Ntuala showed us that protest can be an act of prayer. That faith must move. That truth and action go hand in hand.
She closed her reflection with a question for us all:
“How is God calling you to love in truth and in action?”
As the Synod of the Northeast continues its Matthew 25 journey, may we be inspired by this walk of justice, lament, and hope. May we keep marching—one step, one prayer, one act of courage at a time.
